Thumb-sucking preventer



R. DE BARR THUMB SUCKING PREVENTER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1920.

1,131,915. Patfilltfid 0011111922.

//v VEIVTOI? fiEX AQEBAFPR Patented Get. it 1922.

REX DE BARR, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

THUMB-SUCKING PREVENTER.

Application filed February 16, 1920. Serial No. 359,174.

T 0 all whom/it may concern: e Be it known that I, REX DE BARR, 'a citizen of-the United States5 residing at Los Angeles. in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thumb Sucking Preventers of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for pre venting an infant from sucking the fingers and thumbs of its hands, and has for its obj ect to provide a device of this kind that is simple, inexpensive and practical and durable and is readily applicable and will not injure the wearer but serve only for the purpose of preventing the infant from bringing its hand so close to its mouth as to permit it to suck the fingers and thumb as stated. The invention consists of the construction, the combination and in details and arrange ments of the parts an embodiment of which invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described and claimed herein.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an infant showing the invention applied.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of the preventer.

Fig. 3 is a perspective and sectional view of a modified form of the abutment.

Fig. 4 is a view of a further modification.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the detached abutment device. a

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a variant of the invention. a

Fig. 7 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 6. V

The invention comprises a means adapted to be secured about the upper and lower members of an arm or of both arms of an infant, and in Fig. 2 a form of the invention includes a split sleeve 2 of any suitable material, preferably, having considerable breadth so as not to pinch or mark the arm, and the sleeve is adapted to be adjusted to proper fit as by means of straps with buckles 3.

The sleeve is provided with any suitable form of fastenin means as friction snaps indicated at 4 an these are provided with a detachable loop or strap portion 5 which in Fig. 2 is extended through an aperture provided in a ball 6 that may be of any suitable material such for instance as celluloid this having the desired degree of hghtness and at the same time being extremely sanitary. The ball orsph'ere 6 is provided with a slot 7 through which the fastening strap may be passed. Therefore, when the sleeve 2 has been applied to the. upper arm, as shown in Fig. 1 the ball 6 will be positioned over the front of the arm and will project sufficiently so as to prevent the forearm from being moved up to the mouth sufiiciently close to enable the fingers of the hand to be inserted into the mouth.

' In Fig. 3 a slightly modified form of the abutment member is shown as comprising a concave-convex structure 8 through which the ends of a strap 7 are passed to be secured by the fastening means 4 to the sleeve 2.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the modi'fication of the invention consists of two sleeves2 and 2 that may be fastened by the straps3 about the upper and lower arm sections, and the desired and limited degree of flexibility is provided by connecting these two members by an elbow piece 2 which may be fastened by snap fasteners 4 or otherwise to the ad jacent ends of the sleeve members 22. The connecting portion 2 may have a strap 9 to be passed around in front of the arm and buckled as at 10 to the opposite side of the member 2.

The limiting or preventing device, in this case. includes a straight sleeve or socketmember 11 attached to a fastening strap 12 at its upper end this being detachably fastened to the upper sleeve by snap fasteners 4. Telescopic within the sleeve 4 is a strip or bar 13 having a fastening piece 14 at its lower end to be secured to the lower sleeve 2 by snap fasteners 4. Therefore, when this sectional arm sleeve is ap lied there is a limited angular movement of the forearm with relation to the upper arm as determined by the abutment of the members 1.1-13 which telescope on each other; the inward limited movement of the bar 13 preventing the b'aby from getting its hand to its mouth.

A further form of the invention is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 wherein the sleeves 2 and 2 with the connecting member 2 are so harnessed together that the movement of the forearm is limited.

In this case a harness comprises a continuous flexible string or belt 15 which is crossed at 16 over the back of the elbow member 2 and the diagonally extending portions pass through tubular guides 17, of which there is a pear on the back and outer that there can be a limited swinging movement of the upper and forearm carrying a sleeve 2 and a sleeve 2 respectively. This movement being intercepted when the shoulder or knob device 19 on the harness 15 engages a respective guide 17 back of the diagonal crossing of the harness 15 behind the elbow portion 2".

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of relatively short sleeve members adapted to be applied to the arm above and below the elbow, an elbow piece connecting the rear portions of said sleeve members, a strap connected to the sides of said elbow piece and adapted to encircle the arm at the elbowjoint, and flexible means connectingthe front portions of said sleeve mem bers for limiting the movement of the forearm toward the head of the wearer.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of relatively short sleeve members adapted to be applied to the arm above and below the elbow, an elbow piece connecting the rear portions of said sleeve members, a strap connected to the sides of said elbow piece and adapted to encircle the armat the elbow joint, transversely disposed straps detachably arranged on the front s des of said sleeve members, and fiexible means con-- nected to and arranged between said transversely disposed straps for limiting the movement of the forearm toward the head of the wearer.

In testimony whereof I have signed by name-to this specification.

REX DE BARR. 

